Category: Inspiration – Motivation

Inspiration - Motivation · Philosophy of Life

The journey to a happier you.

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There are many gateways that lead us to our individual pleasures but there’s only one true pathway to happiness and the track runs through you. 

The key that unlocks our happiness lies within us and can’t be found elsewhere. Outer factors may contribute to our state of bliss now and again, such as: recognitions and prestigious awards, salary raise, exciting new relationships, fancy gadgets, weight loss, new home, travelling etc. These things can contribute in making us feel great at the initial stage, however, that buzz and thrill does not last very long as we are quick to adapt to changes and those positive things that made us happier at first fast become our new normal and we return to our previous happiness baseline.

Positive psychology shows that a person can truly increase their happiness and overall satisfaction with life which does not necessarily entail winning lottery ticket or material stuff or some sort of drastic change of circumstances. What it takes, is an inner change of perspective and attitude and this is something that anyone can do.

When we fail to settle down and dig deeper to unlock the essence of who we are, we tend to fill our days with activities, going through the daily motions of surviving and are left feeling listless and dissatisfied with life.

If you feel like this, now’s the time to start searching for the missing link and hopefully, the answer will click. The journey to a happier you can often be lonely but you can improve your experience by surrounding yourself with positive and happy people, value yourself and your relationships, keep the beautiful memories and positive experiences closer in mind, achieve goals and appreciate them no matter how small.

  • Train your brain to be more positive: express gratitude, give sincere thanks to others, find the positive sides of negative events from  your past (not the easiest task but you can reevaluate a negative past event keeping your eye on what you learned or how you became stronger, wiser, or more compassionate.
  • Go spiritual and seek to understand one’s inner life better in order to act more wisely.
  • Nurture and enjoy your relationships: Make a conscious effort to stay connected, invest in quality time with the people you care about, offer sincere compliments, take delight in the good fortune of others, seek out happy people 
  • Live in the moment and savour life’s pleasures: meditate, practice mindfulness, adopt enjoyable daily routines, minimize multi-tasking, recollect happy memories and do stop to smell the coffee or the roses. 
  • Focus on helping others and living with meaning: practice kindness, volunteer, play to your strength by building your activities around those things that allows you to use your strengths for greater good.
  • Take better care of your health: get quality sleep, eat balanced and nutritious meals, exercise, relax the mind…

We all want to live happier lives and this is possible. I hope that you found this article useful. 

Feel free to check me on Tiktok below and you can always join my Livestream to make new friends. Hope to see you one of these days.

@beyondexisting.j

You Can #wordsofwisdom #powerful #fyp #foryoupage #motivation #motivationalquote #advice #inspiration #beyondexistingj

♬ Keep Showing Up (Motivational Speech) – Fearless Motivation
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Blogging · Monday Motivations · Quotes For You

Tuesday Thoughts…

jacquelineobyikocha1 Comment

There are many gateways that lead us to our individual pleasures but there’s only one true pathway to happiness and the track runs through you.

The key that unlocks our happiness lies within us and can’t be found elsewhere.

When we fail to settle down and dig deeper to unlock the essence of who we are, we tend to fill our days with activities, going through the daily motions of surviving and are left feeling listless and dissatisfied with life.

Now, that’s the time to start searching for the missing link and hopefully, the answer will click. You can improve the experience by surrounding yourself with positive and happy people, value yourself and your relationships, keep the beautiful memories and positive experiences closer in mind, achieve little goals and appreciate them.

I found this oldie sitting in my draft. Still rings true.

Inspiration - Motivation · kindness · Life · My Thinking Corner

Pressing the reset button…

jacquelineobyikocha8 Comments

So far, it’s been a tremendously hard year all around the world for many. Our general sense of normalcy and everyday routines, that feeling of taking charge and being in control of our actions and surroundings – which are things we all took for granted, is at very low levels. The anxious have become more anxious, the depressed are more depressed, the lonely feel more isolated and the angry ones’ simply grew worse with their anger mingled with hatred.

Laughter seems far and few in between with frustration and financial crisis dogging many of us night and day. Emotions are all over the place these days and all it takes is spending a few minutes online to witness meltdowns, emotional combustions here and there, all decorated with colourful expletives.

Yet, there’s hope and there are many lessons to be learnt from this difficult experience and our focus shouldn’t stay hung up on all the stress that we have and possibly still experiencing at present. I have searched within me to see what I have felt, what I have seen and what I have learned. My thoughts are not coming out in any particular order, just a free flow of some of what is going on in my head at present without editing.

This situation has shown us that a virus can be a unifier because it doesn’t choose boundaries. It can affect anyone irrespective of background, race, religion, culture, financial status etc. Standing alone as individuals we are fragile, but as a community, we stand stronger, hence, since death is always over one’s left shoulder as is commonly said, we must remember our humanity and the importance of treating each person right especially in the face of our temporal existence.

Everything that you know can end today, ‘cos tomorrow is promised to no one, therefore, it is absolutely essential to focus on the right things and be fully present in every given moment. Value the preciousness of your existence as well as that of others.

Learn to enjoy your life and appreciate what you have. Just think about the fact that there are people out there with far less and possibly in more dire straits. Things may not be going as smoothly for you as they did many months back – know that this time too shall pass and these days which have been spent slowing down is not a waste of time. Our focus has shifted a lot more from material things to things that matter – the bare basic needs of life.

Don’t be reluctant to embrace those little things that will work miracles in you; don’t be afraid to live each day as you deserve and to help others when you can. If you are unable to be of help, the least you can do is not to spoil someone else’s day

If you didn’t do so well yesterday, PLEASE, don’t be afraid to press the reset button and start again today. Saying YES to a refresh is far better than going on a long trip down guilt lane.

Sometimes when life presses that pause button, it is simply asking us to slow down and to take a good look at ourselves. My hope is that these days has taught us to love, to care, to listen, to help and to respect others.

How are you doing? I hope that things haven’t been too rough?

Inspiration - Motivation · My Thinking Corner · Philosophy of Life

Not Tomorrow…

jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

We take our given days for granted, 24 hours fly past so fast that most times weeks and months all meld together into a blur.

They go by whilst we stay planning for all the things that we will do tomorrow which we could have done today.

We plan for the big moments when all lines will fall into the right place, that we tend to forget that one day when we grow old together, we will remind each other about these days that seemed ordinary and uneventful, yet when we take a good look, we will find chockful heart-tugging memories wedged in-between these days.

Your best life is now, not tomorrow.

Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Inspiration - Motivation

How Many Have You Broken So Far?

jacquelineobyikocha5 Comments

So, have you joined us in the broken resolution club yet? If you haven’t, good for you and if you have, welcome to this club where some of us are experts in this field of resolution breaking.Image result for funny image quotes about new year resolutions

But here, we don’t believe in throwing a self-chastising pity party. Nah!

Most people embrace the start of a new year armed with a list of resolutions that stretch from Jerusalem to Jericho and enough enthusiasm to float a battleship, but by the time January hits the third week, a good length of these decisions become neglected, the gym becomes noticeably less crowded, the usual excuses set in that by mid-year, most of the aspirations are literally left in the dust.

The truth is that it’s definitely tough to keep up with these resolutions, however, the reality is that most times we equally set ourselves up for failure right from the get-go because half of the time, we underestimate the effort that staying on course requires, we overlook the fluctuations in our motivation and self-control while we overestimate our abilities .

Since the Auld Lang Syne wine has long left our bloodstream and the euphoria of a new year, new me has worn out, now is the time to cut yourself some slack with the chastising and to press that reset button to give yourself a new opportunity. Give yourself permission to redo things and maybe more sensibly this time. Naturally, when you set more realistic goals with modest expectations, you are far likelier to achieve success.

Don’t forget that self-reflection and development happens all year round and it’s not restricted to any date on the calendar. So, you’ve got this. Pace yourself and set bite-sized achievable goals that will give you that sense of accomplishment and even act as a catalyst to push higher.

Continue your year with a simple gift for yourself – be nicer to you and perhaps your top goal for this year should be to live each day with love and wisdom.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, permit yourself to pause, take deep calming breaths and focus on working out the thing that really matters most at that point in time. Jacqueline

À ta santé

Monday Motivations

Monday Zest…

jacquelineobyikocha5 Comments

A whole lot of folks don’t like Mondays for obvious reasons; ‘cos it’s back to the grind and a downshift from the weekend mood. The sleeping in and chilling out is cut short for several more days. However, I believe that each day is what we make of it ‘be it grumpy Monday or Thank God it’s Friday.’Image result for monday is a good day quotes

Attitude changes everything. Seeing Monday as the start of a great week and not an end to your free weekend might be the key that switches the mood. Instead of spending valuable time groaning mentally, a change of mindset and a little forward planning will help us start the week on a sweeter note.

Inculcating these 10 little habits can make a world of change.

  • Clarify your goals for the week. Have your to-do list and specific goals mapped out for the week. As much as possible, avoid creating an epistle of unrealistic expectations and goals.
  • Indulge in mini-meditations and breaks during the day. Moments of stillness and breaks during the day are beneficial. They can do wonders for your attitude and productivity.
  • Smile. Find laughter. Yes. Smiling easily leads to laughter and laughter lightens the spirit.
  • Mid-week fun stuff. Remember that you don’t have to save all the fun stuff and good times only for the weekends. A mid-week coffee meet-up or bookshop visit, people watching – whatever peps you up – will break the monotony. Many people live for the weekends. I suggest we live for each day that we are given. Of course, there are activities better suited for the weekend, but little zings of fun stuff add zest to our days.
  • During your weekend, adopt healthy habits that will nurture your body and mind. This should help you feel happier and more energized to face your week. The mind and body are interconnected. The food that you eat, how much sleep you get and how active you are, will always affect your body chemistry. Avoid the temptation to binge on food, alcohol or even sleep in the guise of de-stressing. These will contribute to the depletion of your energy and mood swings.
  • Relax and don’t overload your weekends.
  • Hit the sack early on Sunday night.
  • Get pumped with some great music and inspiring/motivational talk.
  • Look good. Wearing snazzy clothes that you like, has a way of lifting up your spirit. Dressing sloppily only makes you feel worse.
  • Above all these things, quit telling yourself that Mondays are dreadful and difficult. With a few adjustments to our thought pattern, we empower ourselves to claim each day to its full potential.

#BetterYou, #LovingMondays, #EnjoyingEveryday, #Mondayisagoodday

Inspiration - Motivation · Musings

Let’s grow wiser together…

jacquelineobyikocha20 Comments

 

Back home in Nigeria, one of the symbols of wisdom is the spider’s web which represents the creativity and complexity that one requires’ to live a wise life.

How are you spinning your web of life today?

Take notice of how you may be tempted to complain about things over the course of the day. See if you can use these moments to learn more about yourself and your complaint might become insignificant or unnecessary.

A little reminder is not to scapegoat others and to search for who to blame when things go wrong around you. Rather, ask yourself, what part did I contribute to the situation? Owning your decisions and having the courage to acknowledge your share of outcomes of such decisions is the first step towards correction.

Wisdom is bright and does not grow dim
by those who love her, she is readily seen,
and found by those who look for her.

The Book of Wisdom 6: 12 – 16
The Old Testament

Inspiration - Motivation · My Thinking Corner

Keep Fighting…

jacquelineobyikocha14 Comments

There’s a warrior in you.

Yes, I am worth fighting for. In my work, in my life, in love, in the good times and the really not-so-good times, and in all the moments’ that life has to offer along the way. I am not going to give up.

If you really love someone – in this case, yourself – you’ll never stop fighting for her. You will never stop trying to make it work between you, yourself, and you. In spite of all the ups and downs of life, we must keep reminding ourselves of those things that matter most even when life seems unbearably hard to navigate. There is always the choice to live in love and on your own terms. You may not know this, but you are a warrior.

#LawofAttraction, #Manifestation, #Believe #Thepowerofpositivethinking, #positiveaffirmations, #abundancementality, #findinggreaterjoy, #BodyMindSpirit, #ShiftingPerspectives, #FulfilledLife #PurposeDriven #IamEnough #IamBeautiful

 

Inspiration - Motivation · Word Wednesday

Word Wednesday…

jacquelineobyikocha6 Comments

A minute of positivity
A mile of possibilities

It’s a popular saying that there’s power in positive thinking, truly, there is and the mind knows this. The mind works with what you give it. Considering all the political and socio-economic strife surrounding us, it’s simply easy to get subsumed by the pervasive rancour, pessimism, negativity and division which has far more reaching effects than we can compute. The thing is this: as long as humans walk the earth, there will always be strife. The question therefore is, how do we manage the strife?

Negative energy succeeds in antagonizing and amplifying difficult situations which only leads to further frustrations. We may not be able to hide our heads in the sand, play dead and wish the troubles of today’s world away, we must, however, learn to stay positive in the sight  of these vicissitudes, to hold our peace, to speak our truth without bitterness and virulence and above all things to remember that ‘it’s our choice on how we choose to react.’

 

My Thinking Corner

It Works…Tuesdays Thoughts

jacquelineobyikocha8 Comments

I believe that simplifying things that concern us works 99.9% of the time. Most times, we complicate our lives by taking simple things and making them harder than they should be. So many things don’t require figuring out and overthinking, they only require a ‘just do it’ attitude.

 

Image result for image quotes about the simple things in life

 

Everyone can do simple things to make a difference, and every little bit really does count. Stella Mccartney